Periodontal Surgery

Periodontal surgery may involve several different types of procedures, but the results aim to eliminate the infection and loss of supporting gum and bone loss around teeth.

Gum disease is the most common cause of tooth loss. More teeth are lost to gum disease and infection than are lost to tooth decay. The infection that causes the recession of gum tissue – and loss of the supporting bone – can and should be treated with either conservative, non-surgical gum treatment, or more aggressive surgical treatment when conservative treatment hasn’t arrested the progression of the periodontal disease.

Various types of periodontal surgery involve:

Gum tissue grafting to cover exposed root surfaces
Gum tissue recontouring to eliminate diseased tissue
Bone tissue recontouring to gain healthy and maintainable bone support of teeth.
Surgical access to clean and debride the diseased teeth roots and gum/bone tissue.

"Gum disease is an infection of the tissues that surround and support your teeth. It is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Because gum disease is usually painless, you may not know you have it. Also referred to as periodontal disease, gum disease is caused by plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that is constantly forming on our teeth"
—Dr. Ted Reese

Laser Periodontal Surgery

The recent advent of laser gum treatments has opened an entirely new approach to treating gum disease and performing periodontal (gum) surgery.

Dr. Reese has been utilizing a BioLase Waterlase MD laser for tooth preparation and gingival treatments. This laser has a variety of extremely thin tips that can deliver laser energy into the diseased sulcus to disinfect the area of gum disease, remove smaller amounts of the diseased gum tissue, provide an atmosphere of improved healing, and offer a much less invasive and less painful recovery period.

The diseased root surface is also treated by the laser energy to allow regeneration of the gum connective tissue to re-grow up the root surface which has been the ‘last frontier’ of regenerative periodontal therapy.

These procedures are especially indicated in smokers who heal less favorably and suffer more from gum disease than non-smokers.

Periodontal Surgery